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France, Germany offer 600 police, experts for EU-Turkey migrant deal

Refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos, as rescuer workers try to revive an unconscious manReuters//Alkis Konstantinidis

France and Germany have offered to send 600 police officers and political asylum experts to Greece to help implement the European Union's agreement on migrants with Turkey. The European Commission estimates that 4,000 extra personnel are needed to implement the deal, which should cost 280 million euros over the next six months.

France and Germany are each ready to send up to 200 police officers to work with the Frontex border-control agency and up to 100 experts to work with the European asylum agency EASO, interior ministers Bernard Cazeneuve and Thomas de Maizière said in a statement on Saturday.

They called on other EU countries to follow their example because "it is only by working together that we will succeed in managing this unprecedented crisis situation in Greece".

On Friday the EU reached agreement with Ankara that all migrants arriving on the Greek islands would be returned to Turkey, while Europe would take in thousands of Syrians.

The Greek government on Saturday sent an "application plan" to the European Commission, calling for cooperation from member states in putting the plan into operation.

The commission estimates that personnel dealing with the crisis must be increased by 4,000, including 1,000 "military and security personnel" and 1,500 police officers from Greece and other EU countries.

To read our coverage of elections and war in Turkey last year click here